Yankees sign infielder David Adams to Major League deal, add him to 25-man roster

David Adams will officially put on the pinstripes for the first time on his 26th birthday.(AP)

May 15 is David Adams' birthday, and the infielder got perhaps the ultimate present for his 26th: the New York Yankees officially announced that they have signed Adams to a Major League deal and added him to the 25-man roster, and he is listed as batting sixth and playing third base in Wednesday's starting lineup against Seattle.

Adams was hitting .316 with three homers and 12 RBI in 27 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, primarily playing third base but also seeing time at first and second, and the promotion brings him full-circle after what he called upon his arrival at Yankee Stadium a "whirlwind" seven weeks.

On the 40-man roster entering the spring, Adams missed most of camp due to a back injury and was released when the Yankees officially acquired Vernon Wells on March 26. Adams re-signed a Minor League deal with the organization three days later, but as general manager Brian Cashman noted when Corban Joseph was recalled last month, Adams' release and re-signing meant he was ineligible to be called up to the Majors until May 15.

"I was shocked (about the release) at first, but in the end I understood it. It's a business ultimately, and I hadn't been on the field; when you pick up a guy like Vernon Wells who can help the club right away, you understand where they're coming from," Adams told YESNetwork.com during an early-April visit to Scranton. "I'm a firm believer that if you perform, someone will find you and you'll get an opportunity somewhere."

The Yankees' third-round pick in 2008, Adams is a career .296 hitter in parts of six Minor League seasons, but is most known for both his injury history and his near-inclusion in the proposed blockbuster deal that would have brought then-Mariners lefty Cliff Lee to the Bronx in 2010.

"I'm a firm believer that if you perform, someone will find you and you'll get an opportunity somewhere," Adams said back in April. "For me personally, I haven't performed at that level yet, but I have high expectations for myself this year and hopefully I can be consistent."

To make room for Adams on the 25-man and 40-man rosters, the Yankees designated infielder Chris Nelson for assignment. Nelson, acquired from the Rockies on May 1, appeared in 10 games for the Yankees, all at third base, and hit 8-for-36 (.222) with two RBI.